Over the next few years, BT will be phasing out the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). The aim is that by 2025, these networks will be shut down for good, and will be replaced by Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) – or simply put, phone service over internet.
By 2020, mobile operators will also be closing 2G and 3G platforms, as 4G and 5G become the industry standard.
PSTN is what you know as the traditional phone line. It transports analogue voice data over copper phone lines, much in the same way as the first phone networks of the late 19th century.
ISDN is the original high-speed internet service. It’s basically a telephone-based network system which can transmit data and phone conversations simultaneously over normal telephone cables. During the 1990’s this revolutionised the way people did business – no longer would you risk missing a call in order to access your internet, or have to shut down the internet to make a phone call.
2G and 3G basically refers to the wireless telecoms technology used by a mobile device. 1G, launched back in the 1980s, allowed for voice calls only. 2G allowed the introduction of SMS and MMS, and 3G gave us video calling and mobile internet. 4G is the current standard, with 5G coming in 2020.
There are currently around 4 million fire and security systems that communicate to alarm receiving centres (ARCs) via PSTN lines. If you have your fire, intruder, access control or CCTV system monitored and your signalling uses PSTN, 2G or 3G then the changes will impact the signalling capability of these systems. Simply put, if you don’t upgrade your signalling device within your fire or security system to one that doesn’t depend on PSTN, 2G or 3G to transmit signalling to the ARC then your monitoring will no longer be effective. Even if your signalling device is a dual-path, (ie. uses IP and PSTN) it will still be affected.
If your system uses PSTN, 2G or 3G for its signalling capability, then we can upgrade your signalling to the latest Emizon device. Emizon is a security signalling platform that has been designed specifically to provide an IP solution for secure monitoring. It is dual path by using both wireless technology and the on-site broadband connection. It is also 21CN compatible and will work on any standard broadband service, providing a future proof service. With these combinations in place, Emizon is fast becoming the chosen solution for many businesses, particularly for upgrades.
We aim to have upgraded all current customers well before these changes occur. If we haven’t yet upgraded your signalling, please contact us for a quote.
If you’re not a current customer, we can provide a cost for the upgrade alongside a takeover quote for your monitoring and maintenance contract. And best of all? We guarantee to beat what you’re currently paying!
Simply call us on 0330 094 7404 to arrange your no obligation quote. Alternatively, complete your details here and we’ll get back to you asap.
